Consider its relevance to one of the themes or motifs listed below.
Identity Theater/Acting Meritocracy Egalitarianism
Belonging/Exclusion Passing Writing Class & Status
In your blog post be sure to do the following:
1. Center your discussion around the analysis of one particularly dense passage from the first 3 chapters that you thinks connects to one of the themes/motifs above.
2. Articulate a claim that clearly designates a stance or an interpretation about the passage and the theme/motif.
3. Closely analyze the passage--consider diction, figurative language, repetition, syntax or any other devices that apply. Talk about specific details and words in the passage.
4. Make larger connections between textual details and thematic ideas, and/or connections to other parts of the text. Ask, so what does this mean?
5. Write about 300 words.
6. Proofread.
Writing and Meritocracy
ReplyDelete"The atmosphere of our school crackled with sexual static. We had the occasional dance with Miss Cobb's Academy and a few other girls' schools, but these brief affairs only cranked up the charge; and though from day to day we saw the master's wives, Roberta Ramsey alone had the goods to enter our dreams. The absence of an actual girl to compete for meant that every other price became feminized........." (Wolff 15)
Tobias Wolff's novel, Old School, is set at an elite all boys prep school, the situation that there are no girls at the school to compete for or show off to explains the reasoning as to why writing is such an important deal at the school. The narrator explains how writing, sports and music become "feminized" such that instead of competing for girls, school activities are the next best thing to being superior among his peers. The boys take any chance they can get to compete with each other; the narrator refers to them butting heads together like "mountain rams", as if to show the masculinity and fierce rivalry between the classmates. The narrator describes writing as being a way to test one's ability, influence and power. The only interaction between the boys and the opposite sex was with the master's wives, which the narrator comments that Mrs. Ramsey in particular was very much liked by the students. As well as the occasional school dances with neighboring girls' schools. It is safe to say that if the school was coed, than there would be a lesser emphasis on writing as well as academics in general; the importance of the school being an all boys school can not be emphasized enough, it allows the readers an explanation for the seriousness and parallel of writing which in turns leads to respect and authority.
The boys are completely isolated from the world around them that is constantly shifting and changing, although the way the boys dress and even walk show their class, the respect they receive from their peers is also determined by their writing abilities. Unlike the outside world, the boys have created a more equal and fair way of separating people into classes, by writing aptitude and intellectual achievements. Writing and meritocracy come hand in hand in this novel, the narrator himself benefits greatly from the system, for without his writing skills he would be treated like any other student. The narrator points out that the school believes its system to be "superior to the one at work outside." (Wolff 15), but he understands that the school is only a temporary home and like actors in a play, the show eventually will come to an end, and real life will replace it. The narrator refers to this belief as a "dream" as if to highlight the fact that is was just that, a dream, and not reality. The school is surrounded by a world that is run by the rich and elite. While the school itself is the odd ball and the individuals that hold power in their small world embody merit and intellectual achievements, talent is rewarded with respect and power. These two completely different worlds enables the readers to understand just how secluded the boys are from the outside world, or at least how much they think they are.
“As he spoke I felt my eyes tearing up …and get those grades up” (Wolff 21).
ReplyDeleteIn this passage on page 21, the narrator has been called into Dean Makepeace’s office to discuss the Nazi marching song that the narrator unknowingly whistled to Gershon. This section reeks of a motif known as Theater and Acting. The narrator has gotten into this school and gotten this reputation due to a scholarship. There is nothing more important than keeping those things safe. However this need can get him into tough situations, like when he goes to apologize to Gershon or weeps in front of Dean Makepeace.
Once it comes full-circle to narrator that he whistled a Nazi marching song to a Jewish man who lost his family, he is mortified but not for the reason that he should be. Of course he feels guilty that he hurt Gershon, but he put himself in jeopardy. More specifically, he put his role in this school in harm’s way. When that hits him, he collapses and begins to sob because he had hoped to be a favorite of Dean Makepeace. “The story gave me cover to mourn my own plight, unjustly accused and humiliated by a great man” (Wolff 21). During this time, the writing is very short and abrupt but rambles along as if the narrator is using a paper bag to try to catch his breath in between phrases. Then he notices that Dean Makepeace realized that it was a coincidence. His life at the school is now safe again and the Dean feels sorry for him. He has gone back to his long descriptive sentences that show how he sees that he is now in the clear. However, the Dean tells him he should go apologize to Gershon.
He doesn’t truly want to, but he must because he must play his part of being a good, innocent kid in Dean Makepeace’s eyes. In fact, I don’t believe he was even truly listening to the Dean because he was so wrapped up in how he isn’t getting sent home. My guess comes from the way he repeats what he’s told back to the reader. “He shook my hand and said, If you’ll be good enough to clear things up with Gershon, we can put this to rest. The sooner the better. Tonight, say. After dinner” (Wolff 21). The narrator only listened to what he had to then went on his merry way. Apologizing to Gershon wasn’t even the icing, it was a handful of sprinkles on the narrator’s cake to Dean Makepeace. He just needed to complete his part on stage then continue in school. If he performed well in front of Gershon, Dean Makepeace would continue to let him study in the school, and not as his home. That’s what truly mattered.
Bhav Singh
ReplyDeleteIdentity
“I had seen his face. I knew what was happening to him. He was in free fall, and still trying to believe he was only in a dream of falling. He lived in New York. It would be a long night’s ride for him on the train. My journey wouldn't stop in New York, though. I’d have to catch the gritty Century to Chicago, then change to the Great deserts and mountains but seeing none of it...” (Wolff 31)
In the novel Old School by Tobias Wolff the author creates a very emotional sensation, which is created by the use of pathos, the way the author speaks is so sad and makes the reader feel that emotion that the narrator feels as well. In this passage the author creates an image that shows the cruel way life is beating up the narrator by mentioning his father, who is not with him. The narrator talks about how he can’t risk to smoke cigarettes anymore because than he would have to go back to the muddle of life with his father, this muddle of life is one of the things keeping him in school. In the passage the author uses an interesting metaphor when he says “I’d have to catch the gritty Century to Chicago”, this shows the journey in which the narrator would have to endure. Also this passage really shows the narrator’s identity because it portrays the feelings and relativity towards this boy whom he was looking at. In the beginning the narrator displays his feelings towards this boy and how he knew that he was in this zone of free fall. This boy represented the narrator himself, it was as if it was a mirror he was looking into. This repeating word of school really makes his life organized, builds up what he needs to focus on and helps him carry on. Without school, where would he be? Would he be with his father, or maybe would he have met Purcell somewhere else and stayed with him? All these factors were all factors to him eventually giving up cigarettes, as we see he doesn't seem like the person that would go make a decision fast, he would think about life, the consequences, and what is coming next. Overall we can claim that memories can both help to benefit yourself but also at the same time bring pain upon yourself. Meaning that the memory of his father brought him pain, but memories are also beneficial because he quit cigarettes because of them. These memories is what leads to his second poem later in the chapter of the fireman, but this is a bad outcome of memories because the smell and the mess of the house in which the fireman lives reminds him of his father. If these memories can cause such catastrophic feeling than does that mean later in the book he will have other problems? Supposedly the narrator has some really bad memories with his father which cause such pain to rise. When the narrator sees his identity after looking in the “mirror” does he think that he may be in free fall, just waiting to hit that brick wall which will cause him to go live back with his father? Overall this passage really shows the emotional aspect of the character and his true identity, and it also shows the symptoms of memories.
Bhav Singh
DeleteRevised
Identity
Quotation: “I had seen his face. I knew what was happening to him. He was in free fall, and still trying to believe he was only in a dream of falling. He lived in New York. It would be a long night’s ride for him on the train...I saw the school as if I had left it forever, and the thought made me sick at heart”(Wolff 31)
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This passage from the chapter “On Fire” focuses on identity. In this passage the narrator thinks about what it would be like if he got expelled from his school. It would be a long night’s train ride for him, going back to his home. That boy was in a free fall, and was still trying to believe he was only in a dream of falling. The narrator sees himself on that train, gazing at his own reflection in the window. This scene shows his desire to stay in school because if he got expelled than he would be sent to his “muddle of life with his father” . This shows the main reason why he wants to stay in school and continue his studies, he doesn’t want to return to his father. He pictured the loud halls, the chapel windows, the sound of the glee club practicing, the scrape of skates on the outdoor rink, a certain chair in the library, and the faces of his friends. These memories show that he had built a life at the school which he likes and doesn’t want to leave, just like how the narrator says: “I saw the school as if I had left it forever, and the thought made me sick at heart”. This thought of being expelled made the author examine himself more and think about the effects of being expelled. When the author talks about the feeling of free fall, I personally think about it as if he is “falling” further away from his dreams, the thing that caused/triggered him to fall off that ledge would be getting expelled. Getting expelled seems to be his worst nightmare and the worst scenario for him. By looking at this passage I see that you should not get out of control and that you should stay within your limits and follow your dreams but analyze your position first. The narrator provides a vivid image of his journey on the train by saying the Great Northern which contains those factories and fields and deserts and mountains. If he were to get expelled where would he be? Would he be with his father, or maybe would he have met Purcell somewhere else and stayed with him? This means that school is the support beam for his life and where he ends up, he can either be a good kid or he can be bad and end up with his father. This passage overall shows what life can be like without school for the narrator and how he sees himself, how he examines the effects, hopefully he stops falling.
pg 15-16 "Our school was proud of its hierarchy of character and deeds....Purcell himself had a collection of first editions you'd almost have to own a mine to pay for"
ReplyDeleteTheater and acting, also identity
In the book Old school by Tobias Wolff the motif's such as identity and the concept of theater is very prevalent, especially in this passage. In the first part of this section I chose the narrator is talking about the school he attends, his words, "..a good dream and we tried to live it out..". The narrator is saying how the school is its own special little bubble, very different from the outside world during the 60's, and once the curtain is flung open the boys will be let out into the world/theater. He then starts to talk about stereotypes which go along with identity. He states "Class is a fact:" How boys wear their clothes, how they spend their summers, the sports they played, how much money they have, it’s all revealed. He is pretty much talking about all the different social standings within the school bubble. In my opinion, the narrator is claiming that who your public self is, the information that is let out and known about you is how people will define you, even if you are unaware of it. An important line from the section I chose is "...that they would not have to struggle for a place in this world, that it had already been reserved for them..." The reason I find that important is that it shows the contrast between the narrator whom is on scholarship and would do anything to stay at the school, while there are some boys who have all the money and probably a rich family that can get them a job later on in life. I also think that the structure of these two paragraphs next to each other is interesting because the first part is saying how perfect the school is, how it’s a dream to be there, then in the second part it is talking about class and identity and how that is a thing one has to deal with while attending the school. This whole passage fits into the bigger picture on many levels, one being that the narrator himself isn't one of much money and how this school is like a dream for him. Going further into the book there is a whole situation with a jewish man named Gershon and the narrator, and we see this whole concept of class come out, especially in the narrator who says some nasty things about Gershon. He doesn’t realize that the things he is saying bout the school, and about how the boys treat each other, also applies to himself. Overall, I believe this passage is really about understanding the school and the boys in it and how they characterize each other.
Lauren Serotta
ReplyDeleteTheater/Acting and Identity
“I was conscious of him throughout the meal and held myself as though he were conscious of me. Some of the other boys at my table also suffered fits of dignity. The atmosphere in the hall had become theatrical. This had been everything to do with Frost himself. The element of performance in his bearing-even the business with the napkin, awkward as it seemed, had a calculated quality-changed the room and put us on the edge, not all unpleasantly, as if a glamorous woman had entered the hall”(Wolff 45).
This passage in the novel, Old School, shows the motifs theater/acting and identity. These two motifs go hand-in-hand because in some cases your identity can be an act you’re putting on. The author relates a lot of thoughts to theater, which implies a fake identity because whenever you hear the term theater you think of acting or putting on a show. In this passage the narrator says how the atmosphere is “theatrical” with Frost being there. Meaning that the mood set by all the boys in the room is totally changed, and it’s like all of them are acting as if they are in a play. Acting to try and impress Frost. This may not be a bad thing as the narrator says, “…not all unpleasantly…”, referring to the atmosphere they are setting, but they still are technically creating a fake identity. The narrator also says, “some of the boys at my table also suffered fits of dignity”, with that said, it seems like Frost is bringing out a confident side in all of the boys. This may not be a fake identity, but an identity that has always been inside them that comes out at different moments. For example, when a woman enters the hall the boys experience this same identity. Since it’s an all boys’ school they don’t experience a lot of exposure to the opposite sex, besides interactions with their professor’s wives. So, when they do see those of the opposite sex, they put the boys on the edge of their seats like Frost does. The narrator is describing the atmosphere as being theatrical and makes it seem like the boys are putting on a fake face or as if they’re playing a role opposite to their actual personality. Being yourself and not creating a public identity can be very hard especially around someone like Frost, since he is a role model to a lot of these boys, but also intimidates them. You can see how much they idolize/think highly of him when the narrator says in the passage, “In his bearing-even the business with the napkin, awkward as it seemed, had a calculated quality-changed the room and put us on the edge…” Every little move that Frost makes puts these boys on their best behavior. Whenever you’re meeting with someone of great authority you should always carry yourself with dignity, so in a way they are creating a separate identity that is different than their private selves. Or maybe the narrator is just describing it as theatrical because he loves to write, so the language he uses is always very melodramatic. Either way this passage shows how the boys are putting on an act, which is creating a different identity from their real selves.
Identity/Writing
ReplyDelete“I started a new poem that nigt. It was the fire that got me going…I submitted the elk-hunter poem. “Red Snow” I called it.”
In the beginning of pages 35-36, the narrator explains the firemen during a fire that happened recently at the school. He goes in great detail explaining the firemen; what they were wearing, how they were taking care of the situation, and how they acted. He mostly takes notice in their facial expressions, which inspires him to make the poem, specifically a narrative, about a fireman after a recent fire.
He explains the house and its condition “the dirty cereal bowls, the smell of burnt toast and last night’s fish,”(Wolff 35) the house is a mess, and no one cares to clean it up, there is no mother figure in the poem, which makes you wonder where is she? If there is no mother, then something most have happened to her. If the house is a mess then why doesn’t the father clean? This poem leaves you to so many unanswered questions, it makes you wonder how he came up with such a specific situation.
He then talks about the fireman yelling at a boy “he’s just yelled something, he doesn’t know what, and his boy is looking at him with coldness and disdain,” (Wolff 36) so the fireman is not only a fireman, but a father too. It sounds like the father is drunk because he didn’t know what he yelled, and the way the narrator explains the boy ‘coldness and disdain,’ he uses dark words to explain a child, someone who is supposed to be joyful, happy, cheerful, and this boy? He does not sound happy, but miserable.
The narrator writes this piece as if he was reminiscing on a memory, something that might have happened to him before he enrolled in the private school. “It was too close to home, it was home.” (Wolff 36) This one small bit proves that the poem he was writing was about his past life, and what he might have experienced when he was there. But then after the poem, the narrator changes his attitude.
He talks about how disgusted he was of his past life, with his mother gone, and his father who would be hurt from his son’s disregard. The narrator changes his sentences to short, and detached, showing no emotion, which shows that he is not comfortable with the subject, or he does not want to go into further detail about his previous life, and wants to try and forget about it. “I could see myself there, and didn’t want to. Even more, I didn’t want anyone else to,” (Wolff 36) he probably does this so people do not think less of him, or treat him differently, but then the author changes the conversation so quickly that it could give you whiplash.
He changes the conversation with an abrupt sentence, “I submitted the elk-hunter poem. “Red Snow,” (Wolff 36) I called it.” There! Just like that! He completely forgets the conversation like he didn’t even talk about anything so dark and personal, it is almost as if he tries to hide that whole conversation with one small sentence, as if the long paragraph is hiding behind the small sentence, afraid of being discovered. That long paragraph represents his former life, and that short sentence represents him now, isolated and disjoined, someone who will always have a hidden identity, one that he probably will never share, with anyone.
Identity
ReplyDelete“I’m just saying, why throw a chance like this away? He’s willing to spend some time with one of us. If you won’t meet with him, let somebody else.
Like you?
Sure. Why not.
You’d be willing to take my place?
Yes...” (Wolff 55).
“Would I accept a meeting with Robert Frost? I said. An unearned meeting, as opposed to an earned meeting, like yours? You bet your sweet ass I would.” (Wolff 55).
In this passage, George and the narrator are discussing how George is extremely nervous about meeting Robert Frost. George won the contest by writing a poem which was supposed to be a tribute to Frost. Frost read it as if it was almost mocking him, and George was therefore embarrassed to meet with him. In fact, he almost skipped the whole meeting. Why is it that the narrator would be so quick to grab this open opportunity? Of course any student would have loved that opportunity, but they all did not earn it. This passage pulls away some layers of the narrator and exposes more of his identity and how it appears to the outside world. The public does not know about his assumed hardships with his family and how he is here because of a scholarship. Some may look at this situation and his past by saying he is a go getter or just that he is selfish. Would a go getter take an opportunity that wasn’t theirs? A go getter would initially submit their best, most passionate poem to truly win this meeting. A go getter would not take something that did not belong to them, especially something that would further them. Pride would get in the way, they would need to do it for themselves and truly earn it themselves. The narrator has no problem with admitting that he would take advantage of this opportunity. It is almost as if the narrator is trying to prove his selfishness to readers. He is proud of it. He repeats and stresses how he doesn’t mind if he didn’t earn this. The narrator is trying to make himself feel worthy and attempting to make George pass him the meeting. George, a boy with more values in this area, is genuinely surprised and appalled that the narrator thinks like this. All of the narrator’s decisions and thought processes are based on his family life. He wants to benefit from everything and anything that this place has to offer. Does he have a limit? Does he know if he has a limit? I don’t believe the narrator knows what advantages he will take and what lengths he will go to do so. I don’t believe that the narrator knows himself and his true identity very well and that could end up being problematic for him.
“Again it occurred to me that I could prove my case: I could tell him my own father was Jewish. This was true…I thought I held a trump card, and my refusal to play it amounted to a deception.” (Wolff 22-23)
ReplyDeleteIdentity/Class and Status
This paragraph is about how the narrator struggles to find what he should say to Gershon. Gershon heard the narrator whistling the Nazi march song as he was walking by. Gershon got very upset because he is Jewish and a lot of his family was killed during the Holocaust. Gershon told Dean Makepeace and Dean Makepeace called the narrator down to his office to question him. The narrator insisted that he had no idea that he was whistling the Nazi marching song. The Dean told the narrator that he must apologize to Gershon. After the narrator said sorry, he realized that he could just tell Gershon the truth and that would clear up everything. The narrator could tell Gershon that his father is Jewish. However, the narrator decides to keep that detail of his life a secret. The narrator does not tell about his personal life because he is worried about his class and he wants to keep is true identity unknown.
The narrator does not want to reveal who he truly is. He could clear up any trouble that he is in by mentioning one simple detail about his life. He decides not to. The only reason the narrator would not reveal his true identity is that this school is his only shot he has and he does not want to mess anything up. I believe that this is a very bad reason. The narrator got into the school on a scholarship because of his grades and the person he was at his school before. If the narrator is changing everything about himself then he will no longer be the person who got into the school on scholarship. I think that the Wolff is making the narrator like this on purpose. Wolff will continue to make the narrator not share his identity, and eventually by the end of the book, his true identity will not even be there anymore. Another example of this happened later in the book when the narrator would not submit his poem about the fire because it was too real for him. It was too close to his true identity and he did not want to share that. The narrator leaves out many details about his life because he wants to run away from it.
This passage is also about class and status. The narrator is worried that if he tells that his dad is Jewish, he will not be seen of the same status as his fellow classmates. “But it had come to a kind of question twice that day, and both times I’d chosen to deny it.” (Wolff 23) This portrays how the narrator is too scared to reveal what class he is truly from. Throughout the whole first three chapters the narrator does not want to show anything that could make him different from the other boys at the school. Many of the boys come from a high class family. The school costs a lot of money so the boys’ parents have to pay for that. The narrator does not even want anyone to know that he is on scholarship because he wants his classmates to believe that his family is of high status just like everyone else. The narrator does not want his true identity out because he is afraid the other boys may know that is family is not of a high class or status.
Sarah Kowaleski
ReplyDeleteWriting
“Would you honor your own friend by putting words down anyhow, just as they come to you—with no thought for the sound they make, the meaning of their sound, the sound of their meaning? Would that give a true account of the loss?...grief can only be told in form. Maybe it only really exists in form. Form is everything. Without it you’ve got nothing but a stubbed-toe cry—sincere, maybe, for what that’s worth, but with no depth or carry. No echo. You may have a grievance but you do not have grief, and grievances are for petitions, not poetry.” (page 53)
Through his impassioned retaliation against the egotistical, supercilious English professor, Robert Frost grounds his ideas on the style of writing in a way that seems to glorify his own wisdom as an irrepressible force, driving the audience not into submission, but agreement. The haughty accusation against this grand poet pronounced that his use of form and structure in his works was outdated, and therefore no longer an adequate way of expression. However, Frost dismissed this, going on to say that by using this form and structure, an emotion as dynamic as grief is more tangible and authentic than if it had been lazilly plastered down without honest thought to its meaning. So, throughout this passage, the perception of good writing is explored, ultimately romanticizing the dedication of meticulously written pieces.
In order to defend the art of attentive writing, Robert Frost, in his controlled wrath, contended the professor by some clever means. For example, he asked rehetorical questions that all blatantly supported his argument, making sure it would sound ridiculous and bitter if these questions were opposed. Additionally, Frost had entwined repetition into these series of questions, not only appealing to the audience’s ear, but also latching them onto a certain word, which was “sound.” By fixating on this specific word, Frost reminded the audience that poetry is best read aloud, and that structured writing expressly strives for that opportunity to be lyrically drawled out on a person’s lips. He plays with the audience’s logic, reasoning that when work is labored over and thoroughly contemplated, the results are going to be purest in their intentions, altogether hoping to convey the deepest of emotions. Frost even goes on to compare the differences between when a structured poem tries to do this and when a disordered poem tries to do this, deliborately reducing the disordered poem’s sentiments into “grievances,” as opposed to the structured poem’s “grief.”
So, by amplifying the brilliance and passion of structured writing, Robert Frost asserted and justified his style, in a way proving that he knows and understands who he is. His identity does not elude him, as it would appear, since he so strongly and firmly defended himself and his ideas, not fearing the potential isolation of difference. Even if this is just an act of bravado however, it would then further demonstrate how everyone, even a vastly honored poet, struggles with how they outwardly present themselves. Throughout the book, Old School, by Tobias Wolff, this idea of identity is quite evident, underlying nearly every passage, including those that focus on other concepts, such as writing.
"I hadn't met Dean Makepeace yet but I knew who he was ...disappointment of everyone who had hopes for me." (Wolff 18)
ReplyDeleteThis passage seems to deal a lot with identity, however this time it is not the narrator's identity that is being put under the microscope, but Dean Makepeace's. This also ties into the motif of theater/acting because it is almost like the narrator is creating a character out of the Dean before he's had a proper conversation with him. Once the narrator has the Dean up close and personal, in his office to be exact, he begins to size him up. He takes into account the way he smells, “He reeked of tobacco,” (Wolff 18) and the faults in his appearance, “Cigarette smoke had tinged his white moustache with yellow, and his suit jacket was smudged with ash,” (Wolff 18). We then see our young narrator crafting his words to suggest that he fears the Dean and what he thinks of him; the way he mentally reacts to the Dean could simply be how he copes with fear, but we are really able to see the narrator making the Dean into this flawed overlord who has complete control over his future. He mentions Dean Makepeace looking through what he supposed to be his file, but then thought he was just occupying his eyes while he figures out how to rip the narrator apart; was this not what he was just doing to the Dean? Was he not just trying to bring the Dean down to his own size so he’ll be less intimidating? Yes. So it brings in the idea of acting and putting on a mask to seem confident, as we see not much later on in the chapter when the narrator begins to sob in front of the Dean. And we also see this idea of identity being flipped around a little bit, if only briefly, to see the narrator taking in someone else’s character as opposed to the reader analyzing his.
Identity
ReplyDelete“I didn’t really believe that, of course.I believed that Bill had meant to deceive, and that his aplomb in the face of discovery was not innocence but a further artifice by which he masked his disquiet and, intentionally or not, forced me to probe my own response.” (Wolff 12)
Throughout the novel Old School by Tobias Wolff, the motif “Identity” has been used very often. This is a very important example of how the characters develop an identity in the book.
The book takes place at a prep school for boys, which is very expensive. Most people there are all very well off, except for the main character, Tobias, who got in through his exceptional grades. Although it has been stated in the book, that everyone is viewed as equals, it is obvious that this is far from the truth. The people of the school worry about being judged by others and they all want to be the best. For this reason, they form identities and try to be someone that they really aren’t. The reason for this is that they are all afraid of being judged by each other.
Tobias begins to construct a different identity as well, when he discovers that his roommate Bill is Jewish. They had known each other for three years but this is the first time he has told him this. Tobias states that he knew Bill was trying to deceive him but they had never discussed it since then. He continues to think about this and tries to find a new identity when he realizes his father is Jewish.
I believe that the claim of the passage is when he says “For a while I worried that Bill would hold what he knew against me, but he didn’t seem to.” I think that this is the claim because it explains the whole idea of forming an identity to avoid being judged by others. Tobias says that he is afraid that Bill will think poorly of him for being Jewish and for this reason, he tries to keep his mouth shut. Finally, when he realizes he has nothing to hide from, he reveals that he is Jewish.
The part that says “Maybe he was relieved to have someone know”, really stuck out to me. He says that he is worried that people will think differently of him for being Jewish, and thus forms a new identity that makes him seem like the rest. This passage is very important because it shows that people wouldn’t have judged him in the first place and he was relieved to have someone know instead of being afraid of what they will think.
This idea relates a lot to the idea of “social class & structure” “Our school was proud of its hierarchy of a character and deeds.” (Wolff 15) The idea of identity relates a lot to this because it talks about how they have everyone viewed equally. This is proven untrue because if this were correct, then Tobias wouldn’t have to worry about being judged, as he would be viewed the same as everyone else no matter what.
“But we wouldn’t have admitted that class played any part in our liking for Kennedy. Ours was not a snobbish school, or so it believed, and we made this as true as we could…. and meanwhile, absent other distinctions, you were steadily giving ground to a system of honors that valued nothing you hadn’t done for yourself.” (page 1-2)
ReplyDeleteThis passage has relevance to multiple motifs, including identity, egalitarianism, class, and meritocracy. It shows how the school works, and the shared ideals and values of the majority of kids who attend the school. The very first sentence talks about the identity of the school itself -- the “public” identity that the students want to create for it. The kids don’t want to be seen as snobbish because of the school they go to or how that school works, so the try and make their school seem like a place that transcends class and social structure and offers a certain level of equality. Everyone does their chores, no matter their background; scholarship students could “declare themselves or not.” Whether or not they achieve this ideal of egalitarianism is arguable, and the narrator even seems to understand this fact by using language that leaves room for opposition (ie “or so it believed” and “we made it as true as we could.”) This also reinforces how one’s public identity doesn’t necessarily match up with who they are, or their private identity; even if the school doesn’t seem snobbish, there’s no guarantee that there’s a complete absence of snobbery.
The passage goes on to address class in more detail, reiterating that the kids try to make the school free of such restrictions as rich vs. poor. The narrator mentions that it is understood that kids who come from a famous or well-to-do family are indeed better off in some ways -- that they get a “leg up” in the world -- but the students of the school also looks upon a high class or social status as something restrictive and dangerous, since when you’re at the top, you can’t go anywhere but down. The less well off kids don’t seem to resent those that are above them socially or economically.
The very last section of the passage mentions how the school, while it tries to get rid of social structure based on class within it, does need some way to sort out who is above who. It does this based on something of a meritocracy -- “a system of honors that valued nothing you hadn’t done for yourself.” The personal achievements made by each student in sports or more bookish areas are what constructs what social hierarchy there is in the school, rather than the comparatively meaningless labels of class or family reputation.
Kierstyn Gurney
ReplyDeleteEgalitarianism
“As I talked he kept his face averted, his mouth set in a puckered line; he wasn’t wearing his teeth…And still I pushed on. I wanted him to believe me, for my own sake of course, but also for his, so he’d know there weren’t any Nazis here” (Wolff 21).
Throughout the start of the book, it is very clear that egalitarianism is a major factor in their certain time period. Jews are still facing the fear of Nazis coming after them, and the range of possibilities of what could happen to them if they were caught. Whithin this paragraph our narrator is trying to patch up the misunderstanding he creating by humming a Nazi marching song in the presence of a Jewish janitor that works at the school. Egalitarianism is especially shown here in that last line, “I wanted him to believe me, for my own sake of course, but also for his, so he’d know there weren’t any Nazis here” (21). Our narrator was expressing his means for forgiveness to the janitor, Gershon. Later our narrator admits he in fact is half Jewish so he knows the struggle that Gershon is going through of trying to stay low about his religion so people don’t discriminate against them.
More towards the beginning of the paragraph our narrator was explaining the humiliation he had already caused himself from not knowing that he was humming a Nazi marching song in front of a Jew. This was the paragraph that would lead up to the narrator wanting to make sure Gershon is in a safe, Nazi-free zone. “It was obvious that he regarded my visit as a galling evolution of the ugliness I’d already dealt him,” (21). Our narrator knows that him trying to explain himself is just embarrassing himself even more, but that he still wanted Gershon to know he didn’t mean anything by what he had done and he wants him to be in a safe environment. I personally love when he describes his humiliation as a “galling evolution”, it creates great texture within the text and proves our narrators embarrassment of their discussion. The egalitarianism is not only a major theme in the book but it’s also a good reminder to all of the readers that there are characters that are supportive of rights for the Jews and it will be interesting to see if there are any characters that will discriminate against the Jews and if there are, will be any controversy about it later in the book?
Writing, Identity
ReplyDelete“Frost. I don’t know why I even bothered submitting anything, given how he writes. I mean, he’s still using rhyme...Rhyme is bullshit. Rhyme says that everything works out in the end. All harmony and order. When I see a rhyme in a poem, I know I’m being lied to. Go ahead laugh! It’s true- rhyme’s a completely bankrupt device…” (Wolff 44)
Both Bill Purcell and the narrator are speaking about George’s poem and how it was chosen by Robert Frost. Purcell is ticked off, understandable as the author visits are a subject of much importance in their school. The narrator himself says that the student body as whole “... cared” and that he “...cared as much as anyone” (Wolff 11). It’s amazing how much the boys rely on the author visits for entertainment, compared to their lack of dedication to their behavior, smoking and skipping class regularly (but as part of the one percenters, they are entitled to do as they please).
Bill is an interesting character, the Jewish boy who isn’t Jewish publicly, much like the narrator. They mirror each other in a way, both looking for a way out of the fate their religion has sealed for them. These two Jewish boys who keep their beliefs secret so as to secure a respectable position in society. Purcell is shameless in his commentary on Frost’s writing style, calling it stiff and orderly. Rhyme does bring order to a poem and it helps readers anticipate what comes next in the story. I believe that Purcell’s outlook on rhyme is both superficial and counterfeit. He speaks out with such conviction and passion about rhyme, you’d think that he had this diatribe written down and memorized, waiting in vain for the right moment to bring it up.
The idea of rhyme being nostalgic and wishful is very interesting, as rhyme can be used for emphasis as we saw in Othello and it also highlights the rhythm in a poem. He’s so specific about why “rhyme is bullshit..”, so much so that I am forced to believe that he is more interested in making a statement than actually speaking out against a literary device. He is fitting himself into the snotty rich boy mold that many of these boys are attempting to break out of and rebel against. But identity comes from experiences and events that shape your character as you go on through life. Purcell is attempting to shape his experiences to fit the mold.
These two boys have created a bubble for themselves. A safe environment where their actions are not judged by their religion. And it’s interesting to see how easily they dive into this writing culture the school is so invested in. It is mentioned earlier that these two boys “owed” one writer in particular, “I myself was in debt to Hemingway-up to my ears. So was Bill. We even talked like Hemingway characters, though, in travesty, as if to deny our discipleship…” (Wolff 14). It shows in Purcell’s dialogue and it shows in the narrator’s choice of style to tell his story. Hemingway relies on dialogue to create interest in his stories, which make up for his minimalist descriptions. Purcell uses repetition to strengthen his voice, a device Hemingway uses frequently. The bulk of our nameless narrator’s prose is dialogue, something likely brought upon by his idol worship of Hemingway’s writing. Both boys are so alike, I feel that if something happens to the other, it is bound to be mirrored by the next boy.
Why does Wolff present us with two boys, with the same background, same aspirations, but different personalities? Is it to show the duality of reality, how two people cut from the same mold can go on to have starkly different futures? I feel as if I need to mention binary opposition here, this is not an example of such but may be in the future. Purcell is an extraordinary character, someone like the narrator but different in his own way, multi-faceted and opinionated, he is one that will keep my interest through the whole of the book.
Identity, Theater/Acting
ReplyDelete“I had been holed up most of the weekend, trying to finish my poem for the competition” …
“I wanted to be taken for Sam by my schoolmates, who knew nothing of my life back in Seattle” (Wolff 32).
In this passage, the narrator describes the poem he is writing for the Robert Frost competition. He mentions how this poem falls into “the pattern of a group of his stories” about a character he originally created to pay tribute to Nick Adams. The narrator also says that he kind of sees himself as the character of Sam and is almost using these pieces of writing to create an identity for himself that is not necessarily real. The narrator says how the stories have developed into something that is less honest, so it is almost as if he is now playing the part of the fake identity he has created for himself, which reminded me of the theme of theater and acting. This passage stood out to me because it shows the author feeling somewhat insecure about himself, and obviously realizing that he wants to been seen for something that he is clearly not. “It fell into the pattern of a group of my stories in which a young fellow named Sam evaded the civilizing demands of his socialite mother and logger-baron father by fleeing into the forest of the Pacific Northwest, where he did much hunting and fishing and laconic romancing with free-spirited women he met on the trail” (Wolff 32). When the narrator himself says that he wants to be seen as Sam, I think he is trying to use his story of Sam to describe moving away from his parents and a troubling life behind and moving onto greener pastures. This seems to be somewhat true of the narrators life, but a more idealized version probably. When the narrator says that his stories about Sam have slowly become less honest, he is most likely trying to say that he has gotten caught up in trying to create a new identity for himself that he has probably gotten a bit lost in the process. He seems to be holding on to the persona of Sam because he doesn’t quite know who he is anymore, he only knows that he doesn’t want anyone to know about the way his life used to be when he was living in Seattle. This small glimpse into the narrators thought process while writing his poem helps to show why some of his writing may seem dishonest to him, mostly due to the fact that he is trying to write about himself indirectly, but since all the details are false it is showing through in his writing. The narrator clearly has a problem with showing exactly who he is and was, and relies on acting as somebody else that he is not in order to feel secure.
Class/status
ReplyDelete“Class was a fact. Not just the clothes a boy wore, but how he wore them. How he spent his summers. The sports he knew…” (Wolff 15)
In the book Old School written by Tobias Wolff class plays a big role in the plot of the story. In this quote/ paragraph the narrator talks about the idea of class within the school. Class is everything in this school the narrator states that “class is a fact.” There really isn’t a way around it. In this paragraph the narrator is talking about his friend Jeff Purcell, Jeff was very rich meaning he was considered ‘upper class’. Jeff often wrote about the injustice between the rich and poor giving off the feeling of hatred for his own identity and association with the upper class. One line really sticks out “Yet even in the act of kicking against it they were defined by it, and protected by it, and to some extent unconscious of it.” This shows how big of a role class plays in a person’s identity. Even if you try to hide it and go against it, it follows you. You are born into your class, like branding cattle you are forever marked and no matter what that mark will stay there forever. Some people don’t even realize their class or status because it is so natural it seems to be the only “normal” for them. In the beginning of the paragraph the narrator talks about what defines someone’s class or status. It doesn’t all have to do with the material, although that is a big part of it; a lot has to do with the person’s attitude. “Not just the clothes a boy wore, but how he wore them.” People can act a certain way to make it look like they are part of a certain class or of a certain status but there is always that brand no matter what. Jeff acts like he hates the rich people even though he is a “rich person” by blood and because of that he cannot escape the brand of his class no matter how much he hates it. This brings up the fact that the narrator hides his “brand” of being Jewish by going to catholic school and putting up walls so that no one knows about his personal life. But in the end he can’t hide his status forever meaning at some point his true colors will show and people will find out that he is in fact Jewish. Class is a very big issue in this book already and no doubt will play a huge part for the rest of it as well.
Marina Angelopoulos
ReplyDeleteIdentity/Belonging
"I had seen his face. I knew what was happening to him. He was in free fall and, still trying to believe he was only in a dream of falling.... I got up and collected my suicide kit of cigarettes and lighter and holder from their hiding places and went to the bathroom at the end of the hall and stuffed it all into the trash can. I never smoked again."
In the this passage from the chapter On Fire, the narrator after telling the story of the Blaine Boys gives the reader insight to his own personal experiences with smoking in school. He states that there was "fair warning and plenty of it" but chose to support his addiction despite the threats. He speaks of sneaking around searching for new hiding places clearly enjoying the thrill. " The pleasure of getting away with it one more time." Before this passage he paints the image of a thrill-seeking rebellious bad boy with no clear sense of danger. A boy willing to break the rules for the sheer thrill of the chase. Perhaps that is what he would have wanted people to see him as. That maybe his addiction could be spun into this identity that could work in his favor. But everything changed when his companion was caught smoking and kicked out of school.
The mood of the chapter drastically changes and the diction turns solemn and serious (word choices such as: confession and resentment). The rebel is gone and the desperate boy appears. The explusion of the other boy acts as a turning point to the narrator. He begins to speak in choppy sentences as the subject hits too close to home, talking about the dreadful train ride back home. He cannot stand to think about what horror would occur if he were to be caught as well. The narrator supresses thoughts of his past life, clearly wanting nothing to do with it. The school here was a chance to escape and rebuild himself and the threat of being expelled had become real. He had seen the boy, he looked at his face, and it suddenly was not a game anymore. He calls it his "suicide kit" liking the idea of death with the idea of getting kicked out of school.
The narrator gives us more insight to his family life and also the type of person he is. He could have owned up to the fact he was smoking when the other boy was caught. It would have been the right and honest thing to do. Instead he stood there and watched in horror while the boy was dragged away for the same offense. His reputation, his belonging was worth more than the truth, and he was willing to just keep his mouth shut, stop smoking, and pretend that it had never happened. This passage shows the narrators ability to craft identities and also that what he values most is his belonging at school.
Sam O'Connor
ReplyDeleteClass, Identity
“Class was a fact. Not just the clothes a boy wore, but how he wore them. How he spent his
summers. The sports he knew how to play...”
While not the most subtle or obscure description of the class motif, it still applies to it. This paragraph gives the reading audience an insight into how this school is structured, or at least how the students perceive the school to be structured. Any given student’s identity and position in the school was mostly based on how you dress, how you act, and how well you succeed. Most of the children at this school are from the high class; they all have rich families that could afford to send them to this school. This is a major factor towards their “class,” as the society they stem from has major influences of their habits and manners. Considering the narrator’s personality and actions, however, I think the narrator believes himself to be the outlier of this structure. Since he’s on a scholarship, and isn’t from an already rich family, there are no outside influences that can affect they way he speaks and acts. Therefore, he must feel special is some way, and that might be the reason he acts snarky in his private life, like how he refused to open up to Gershon or how he makes remarks about his competitors’ poems. However, the narrator continues and points out that this system of being defined by class is broken, by saying: “Yet even in the act of kicking against it, they were defined by it…” This means that some students claiming to fight against this system, like Jeff Purcell, are in turn being portrayed as a result of this defiance. Jeff comes from a rich family, yet is always looking for a reason to break away from his ties to the upper class. The narrator uses this example to further the gap between himself and the students around him, making him even more of an outlier. He has no rich family to cause him to rebel or act out. I wonder how his “classlessness” will play a part in the book.
"For a moment I saw this place as I had first seen it; how beautiful it was and how odd. I felt its seclusion. We dressed so much alike that the inflections we did not allow ourselves- tasseled loafers for the playboy, a black turtle neck for the rebel- were probably invisible to an outsider. Our clothes, the way we wore our hair, the very set of our mouths, all this marked us like tribal tattoos." (Wolff 35)
ReplyDeleteThis except from page 35 shows how the setting in the book is more than just a school. The term seclusion is used to describe how far off the school is from the rest of the society, because of this one would see that the school itself has developed into a society of its own. The way they dress, do their hair and even facial expressions are all similar to one another. However, the little things that give these people who are similar to one another an identity would've been unrecognizable to an "outsider". It is odd how the narrator uses this term outsider because as you read farther into the book, you realize that the narrator himself is somewhat of an outcast. As mentioned on page 18, he is here at this boarding school on a scholarship. Meaning, unlike the other kids at the school he didn't just pay to get in. His true identity is also shown in the encounter with the janitor in which he pleas how grateful he is for this opportunity at the school where as it may mean little to someone else. This concept is important to the rest of the book because I believe that the narrator is different than the rest of the boys who go to the school. No matter how hard he tries he will never truly be of equivalence. He tries so hard to convince himself that he IS the same by repeating terms like "us" and "we" in describing how things at the school work. It almost seems that in the most distinct way, the narrator is bragging about being a part of what he thinks is the best place on earth. But just because he looks and acts like one of the rest on the outside, doesn’t mean that he feels completely the same as they do on the inside. As demonstrated when the narrator decides to quit his passion for smoking, it is for the sake of staying in this little society created by what seems to be a population of rich boys. In terms of identity and belonging, the narrator creates almost a false identity to belong. Looking farther into the text, one may suggest that a reason that fitting in at this school is so important to him is because life at home may not be all that perfect, judging by the poem he wrote after the fire. However, in the narrators favor he seems to be doing a pretty good job of hiding who he is considering he has made friends and established relationships with the “average” member of the school.
Identity/class
ReplyDelete“The scene with Gershon could be spun into a certain kind of story….taking the stairs at a run as soon as the door clicked shut behind me” (Wolff 23).
It’s interesting that the narrator choses to retain his Jewish heritage. He could have easily cleared things up, he even thinks to himself “I held a trump card,” (Wolff 23). The reader starts to see the narrator start to hide his identity. The subtle divide between known Jewsish kids, and catholic students is like a “charged field” and he conceals this . The narrator’s father is Jewish, which means he is as well, but he doesn’t talk about them like he is one. He calls them “savage” and refers to them as an “unlucky tribe” (Wolff 23). He talks about them as if they are a completely foreign idea.
The narrator calls the school a “snob factory” (Wolff 23) signifying the students are wealthy, he also mentions that Gershon lives in the basement. This delicate detail shows the subtle divide of class and religion. At this point I don’t think that he’s creating an identity I think he’s just hiding. “I was confiding nothing. I would let Gershon think the worst of me before I would claim any connection to him” (Wolff 23). He sounds as if he is more irritated with having a relation to Gershon, than feeling bad about what he did. He has gone from feeling sorry, to feeling angry. He has feelings of disgust at the thought of admitting the truth.
Belonging/Exclusion
ReplyDelete“It’d be a complete waste if you backed out. I mean he’s here, George. Robert Frost. The chance of a lifetime..” (Wolff 55)
Although this may not qualify as a “meaty” paragraph I feel that it has significance within the story and development of the narrator as a character. By this point in the book, it is known to us that the narrator does not necessarily fit in or belong with his fellow classmates. We also know that he is constantly acting in hopes that his classmates will not figure this out. In these lines, there is an obvious contrast between the way he thinks and the way George thinks. George is a privileged kid, unlike the narrator. He belongs, and yes he still has to try it is not as excessive as the narrator does. The narrator has to work for almost everything including keeping his spot in the school and will take advantage of any opportunity he has. Due to this, he is resourceful and willing to do whatever it takes. George meanwhile doesn’t have to work as hard for things, he does not possess these same traits and therefore he is so appalled by the narrator saying he would take his place. Exclusion helps build both a stronger person as well as walls. While it is not a good thing, the fact that the narrator has not always belonged can be helpful/make him more aware of things. While George, can’t imagine taking something he didn’t earn, the narrator can’t imagine not taking an opportunity like this. The difference may also have to do with class but class ties into the idea of belonging and exclusion especially during this time. I feel that these lines really show the difference between those who know what it’s like to be excluded and those who have always belonged.
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ReplyDelete"Our school was proud of its hierarchy of character and deeds. It believed that the system was superior to the one at work outside, and that it would wean us from habits of undue pride and deference. It was a good dream and we tried to live it out, even while knowing that we were actors in a play, and that outside the theatre was a world we would have to reckon with when the curtain closed and the doors were flung open."
ReplyDeleteThis passage is an example of the theatre and acting motif because it shows the real world as the theater stage and the school as rehearsals and backstage. The schools serves as practice for the real world. I think this metaphor shows the boys as actors, preparing themselves, learning their lines as lessons, each boy or actor has a different part they play, or a different individual skill. You can relate the parts of the different boys to their different writing styles. The narrator describes his own writing style, or part, in the beginning of the play as well as a few of his friends writing styles. When talking about the two pieces the narrator had written, Red Snow and the ‘firefighter piece’, he chooses the Red Snow poem to submit. He chose the less real one, he wrote the piece with hopes that his classmates would see him as the subject. A superficial, rugged, outcast of society rather than a boy with a bad relationship with his father. He never reveals his true self in any of his writing, making him an actor in a play. The narrators peers are a large reason for his need to disappear and fit in. The characters in the book have different backgrounds and histories, but not many of which are known, and those that are known are fairly normal backgrounds. The school makes them appear the same. They dress the same, talk the same and have roughly the same interests. The reason for this is because when you spend time with people you pick up some of their traits. The school is a cesspool of similarity. The traits that differ among the boys are only noticeable to the boys themselves. It’s almost like meeting a pair of twins for the first time versus after knowing them for a while little differences start to stick out due to the extended amounts of time spent with them. The narrator keeps his life very hidden, he puts up a large front about who he is “...I practiced some serious dissembling of my own.” The narrator is at the school on a scholarship, and the school is a meritocracy which makes you wonder why he doesn’t feel pride about having earned his position. This is another example of acting a part. He’s acting as though he is just as wealthy as his schoolmates. These students act in certain ways in order to be accepted by each other and in order to outdo each other. The narrator finds out that Bill White is Jewish instead of confiding in his roommate and friend that he shared this trait he stayed silent to uphold his position of normalcy. The school and book are very based on identity and acting, the school serves as a practice camp for what they are to face in the outside world.
Acting
ReplyDeleteThe day before our Frost poems were due we had a fire at the school… how easy they were together. (Wolff 29)
I was particularly surprised at this passage because the narrator shows the reader a side of him that we have never really seen before, longing. This incident is similar to the what happened with Gershon in that he feels compassion for the boys in the fire but it doesn’t stop there he goes on saying about how the “sprawled against one another”.The narrator speaks in past tense describing the photo because the picture was taken in the past but also because this kind of behaviour, “artless and tender” he calls it, doesn’t seem to happen any more. This shows that he doesn’t really have a “true” friendship with any of his classmates which he alludes to in earlier passages when he talks about his unspoken friendship with his roommate. This makes me think that things might not be how they used to, everyone belonging without deception. His diction demonstrates this , he uses the word artlessly which means without deception and tender meaning the boys are kind and genuinely like each other. I think that the tragedy of the current fire had reminded the narrator of the yearbook photograph and that had reminded him of the falsities of his classmates. I don’t think that this is his first realization that his classmates are acting but I think this is the first time he longs for a place where he can be himself with others, like in the photo.I also think the author might have chosen for the boys to have died in a fire because the fire symbolizes the “death” of the old ways.If the authors would have just had the picture from an old yearbook it would have been just another thing from the past but since they died in a fire it connects them to the present and adds weight to the situation .
Danielle Feldman
ReplyDeleteCLASS AND STATUS
“Class was a fact. Not just the clothes a boy wore but how he wore them. How he spent his summers. The sports he knew how to play” (Wolff 15).
Since Old school takes place in an all boys school, a lot of the boys and families are wealthy. This passage really shows how particular your stuff has to be to fit in and feel welcomed. Some of the boys are so sheltered and won’t know how to deal with society and reality. Jeff Purcell on the other hand is scared of that and he doesn’t want it to happen. Purcell actually doesn’t like the idea of wealth even being brought up. He gets tense and uncomfortable with it. Now the narrator on the other hand is at this prestige school on a scholarship. Due to all the standards society and the boys hold on him he feels ashamed and doesn’t blend in. He actually has to worry about doing a good job and knows that this is a privilege because his family doesn’t have the money just to send him here like the other boys. The narrator has a good grasp on reality. Him being Jewish (which is not the norm with the other kids) and having a hard family life, he understands that not everything is handed to you. He knows that not everyone and everything is equal. The narrator also believes that the wealth students like Jeff Purcell and a lot of the other boys, will never get that concept. All these relate to the motif class & status. What social class really makes a difference to fit in at this school. The narrator is the outsider when it comes to his status so he keeps things like being on a scholarship and Jewish a secret
Pg 33, paragraph 5 - Pg 35, page break:
ReplyDelete“False alarm! It wasn’t my Purcell, Little Jeff, who’d started the fire, it was his cousin. Big Jeff was a vegetarian… I wish they kicked him out, Purcell told me that night… We’ll probably get buried in the same coffin. Me and Big Jeff. Big Jeff and Little Jeff, ad fucking aeternum.”
This passage delves into the motifs of identity,
belonging/exclusion, and meritocracy. Big Jeff has spent his entire life looking
up to his cousin Little Jeff Purcell. Even though Big Jeff is (obviously) bigger
than Little Jeff and they are both the same age, he still praises Little
Jeff like some sort of deity. Big Jeff is the epitome, the prime example of the
archetypal "big guy with an innocent soul." He is a vegetarian, cannot stand the
hurting of anyone or anything (including animals, even huge disgusting rats). He
always has his head in the clouds, dreaming of outerspace and bigger things. He
is also quite childish, too, though, which would make him the subject of fun from his
peers, save for perhaps his most redeeming quality: his indiscriminate love towards
everyone. Because of this love, he is accepted by his peers and has many
friends, even despite his childish ways. But Big Jeff has a problem that seems all
too common among innocent souls like his: the fact that the one person that he loves
most of all resents him and does not seem to love him back. Little Jeff Purcell sees
Big Jeff as a hindrance, a harmless yet equally detrimental parasite that he has had to
deal with his whole life (and foreseeably be attached to forever). Why, though,
does Little Jeff resent his loving cousin so? Little Jeff gives his reasons
rather plainly: "When I was a baby, they actually stuck him in the same crib
with me. It's true. They say you can't remember that far back but I do. That
hound–dog face staring at me, you think I could forget that?... Man, you don't
know what it's like big Jeff and little Jeff. Whatever college I end up at,
he'll be there, waiting in my room. Will probably get buried in the same coffin.
Me and Big Jeff. Big Jeff and Little Jeff…"
Purcell feels like he loses his identity to Big Jeff, that they will always be
associated together. That's why Purcell wants to get rid of him so much. So that
one day, perhaps, Purcell can be his own person, and not in the same little box
is Big Jeff. did Jeff hasn't necessarily done anything wrong. For Pete's sake,
he's always done his best to do well by Little Jeff, but in doing so, it makes
little Jeff push him away even more, because it doesn't give little Jeff what he
wants: a reason to hate Big Jeff. If little Jeff could simply just hate big
Jeff, a lot of problems would be solved. He could tell off Big Jeff, get others
to just like him, and get himself separated from the parasitic relationship.
However, since Big Jeff Purcell is so loving and innocent, this is impossible
for Little Jeff. Here lies Little Jeff's biggest dilemma: he simply just cannot
find a way to exclude Big Jeff. Big Jeff, so to say, has earned his place next
to Little Jeff in the eyes of his peers, and abiding by the rules of
meritocracy, Little Jeff has nothing he can do about it. This makes it even
worse for Purcell, who in his writing argues favorably on the behalf of
individual meritocracy, as opposed to the people born rich and powerful
naturally being held over those who earn their own dignity and social
stance. Maybe this says something about Little Jeff: that, though would
never admit it (even to himself), he actually sees his relationship with Big
Jeff not as parasitic, but symbiotic.
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ReplyDeleteBelonging/Exclusion
ReplyDelete“Then I almost caught caught. I've been smoking… I never smoked at school again.”
I think that this paragraph shows a lot about the narrator’s character. At the beginning of the paragraph, the way he writes exuberates a lot of confidence, and from that it is easy to see how confident he became in his short time at the school. “My true addiction was to the desperate, all-or-nothing struggle to maintain a habit in the face of unceasing official vigilance.” I feel that this quote has a lot of depth hidden underneath it. His true addiction was to the exhilarating feeling he got while smoking the cigarette. Reading that, I felt that reflects his inner need to rebel against the school. He entered the school on a scholarship. He is completely different than all the other boys, and on top of that difference, he is also jewish, which creates another huge gap between them. He knows that the barrier between him and the other boys is very, very strong. I think that the reason that he smokes is kind of a silent rebellion that he has with himself and the school. His scholarship is a big deal, its the opportunity of a lifetime, but at the same time, it took his individuality away from him. He cannot tell the other boys about his actual background, because that would just end up making the gap between them even wider. He rebels against the constraints they have put against him for as long as possible. When they other boy who was smoking with him gets caught, his perspective on rebelling changes very quickly. He gets shaken back to reality, and gets back on the right track once again. “I got up and collected my suicide kit of cigarettes.” This quote stood out to me. Not only is there the practical reason that smoking cigarettes can kill you, but the word, suicide, stood out as that his death would be his fault alone. Ruining his scholarship at such a prestigious school would basically mean him ruining his life forever.
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ReplyDeleteIdentity
ReplyDelete“I’d seen his face. I knew what was happening to him… I never smoked at school again.” (Wolff 31.)
This passage in the middle of page 31 shows the narrator’s secrecy about his life, and represents how he seems to be reserved when it comes to any subject involving himself. In the beginning the narrator explains an incident that happened at school, where a student was caught smoking, which is prohibited anywhere near the school grounds. The narrator also smokes, so when he talks the student being caught and sent back to his home, he discusses what would happen if he was caught smoking “I could easily see myself on that train. My journey would not stop in New York, though.” When he says this, it is showing that he is opening some kind of view of his life outside of school before he went to the school, which he is normally closed off about. Throughout the book, the narrator does not thoroughly talk about his life before he enrolled in school.
Being kicked out of school is one of the narrator’s biggest fears, and it were to happen, he admits that he would have a long journey ahead of him. He is in a school located far, far way from his home; it makes you wonder why he would choose a school to apply to if it is so far away from his home. Most kids at his age wouldn't even think about leaving their parents Even when students graduate from high school they are still weary about leaving their home, a place where a person should feel safe and be surrounded with the people you love and trust, and I feel that the narrator does not posses any of these feelings when it involves his home or past life. Whenever the narrator introduces a small bit of his life before he was in this school, his mood becomes cold and detached, as if he is trying to avoid the topic.
“I saw the school as if I’d left it forever, and the thought made me sick at heart.” (Wolff 31.) When the narrator admits this, it tells the reader that the narrator cannot afford to get kicked out. I feel as if that the school is the home that he never had. When he says “sick at heart” it shows that he is very passionate about staying at this school and he would never want to leave. He treats this school as his home more than he did with his actual home with his father. “I never smoked at school again.” this is another example of how this school has an effect on him, the school has such an effect that the narrator will stop smoking, if it means he will stay enrolled in the school, and not return back to his old life.
After this passage, it has given me a different understanding on what this school means to him, and how he will do anything to not go back to his old life. He is very secretive with his past and will not let anyone break through the barriers that he has set up between him and others.
pg. 15 "Our school was proud of its hierarchy of character and deeds. It believed that the system was superior to the one at work outside, and that it would wean us from habits of undue pride and deference. It was a good dream and we tried to live it out, even while knowing that we were actors in a play, and that outside the theatre was a world we would have to reckon with when the curtain closed and the doors were flung open."
ReplyDeleteThis passage can be tied to the motif of Belonging/Exclusion. The ‘’dream” that the students tried to live in would be a perfectly inclusive society where everyone belongs, where he reality of it is an environment where in the words of George Orwell, all are equal but some are more equal than others. Some of the factors that differentiate the students include academic skill, ancestry and socia tier.
The school, which takes pride in its literary accomplishments has many students who throughout the book write wonderful pieces and even earn audiences with writers such as Robert Frost. This part of the school leads to social segregation between students who perform well academically and those who do not. The fact that the narrator conceals his jewish ancestry shows the reader that religion is a very sensitive topic at the school, and that to be jewish would put the narrator at a social disadvantage.
When the author makes a reference to theatrics and how they will have to reckon with on their own, he is showing us that the school shelters the students from the struggles of the outside world. The use of the word “flung” when talking about the doors opening shows that the narrator feels as if when they are “released” into the real world they will not be eased into it.